The God Who is Here

The God Who is Here

Day of Pentecost

May 24, 2015

Romans 8:22-27

Acts 2:1-21

When I was a junior in college I went to Spokane, Washington for the summer to work as a minister of Shalom through the United Methodist Communities of Shalom. One of the people who stuck with me is Joe. He was an older gentleman and as the summer went on I found out he used to be a rancher, his wife had died a few years earlier, his children didn’t live nearby and he liked a strong cup of coffee. Though our program was geared towards feeding the homeless in the area Joe was not homeless, just lonely. His need for community caused him to come through our doors 5 days a week for a cup of coffee, a filling breakfast and some good conversation. Joe related to many of our guys; fellow ranch workers, farmers, construction guys. Around the table they were equal, just guys with similar experiences, sharing stories they had all experiences first hand in some way. Around that table it didn’t matter that they might be homeless, or jobless, that they just got out of jail or this was the first meal in a long time. These guys were able to gather and joke, share stories and tips in a safe space, a welcome space. They were a united body.

As I reflect back on this time I realize how perfectly Joe embodies the church and its purpose in this world. Friends, we are called to be a place of community for all, an open table for anyone to join, a place where Gods welcome is extended through us. That regardless of where you come from in life you find welcome, you hear a common tongue here, you see God in the actions and words of those around you. When the church doesn't fulfill this seemingly basic purpose we reject God's mission in this world. When the church does not open its doors and its arms we have missed the opportunity to welcome stranger and allow God to move. When the church shuts its doors and its heart it is no longer the church. Some of us in this place have sat in these pews for years, and for some this may be the first time here but in this place, this house of God, we should each see God in the people next to us.

On this Pentecost Sunday we once again see the awesome and transformative power of God through the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was a celebration of the end of the harvest for the Jewish people. Everyone was gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate but this year a new thing happened as we see in our passage from Acts.  Those who gathered came from all over and had different native languages. A mighty wind arose and tongues of fire fell on the Galilean disciples. As this fire touched them they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages although they only spoke Aramaic. With this power they spoke of Jesus, the things they experienced, the God they had come to see as father. Many were able to hear this firsthand witness in native tongue; the disciples testimony became a transformative witness. Today we hear so many stories of God and who God is from believers, from people right in this place, because God reveals God's-self in different ways for each of us, ways that are memorable.

God comes in big ways to get our attention amidst the chaos of this world. Most of the work you do in seminary is geared towards turning down the voices of the world to hear what God is saying and calling you to do. Let’s be real, many of us know what God has ordained in our lives, we have felt tugs on our heartstrings showing us what we should do and where we should go BUT our humanness trips us up. Our humanness causes us to doubt and question when we should be praising God for God’s promises to us. Our humanness can hinder or halt God working in us and through us but God is patient.  Our humanness allows us to let fear reign in our hearts. Yet God is patient.

Friends God finishes what has been started. God remains, regardless of whether people hear our witness as truth or think we’re drunk on new wine.  God doesn't give up on us so he comes like fire, water, wind, a dove, a shout, a whisper, a child in a stable, in an empty tomb. God comes to make a memorable statement, a moment that sticks with us, a moment we experience so in this our witness is a sharing of what we know to be true. God comes in a memorable way so we are excited to share it with others!

The disciples were ministers of truth, growing the kingdom of God through their witness. Like the disciples we are called to be ministers of this truth; sharing wisdom, welcome and love to those who enter this space but also to those we interact with every day. To be ministers means that like Joe we connect to others by our commonality in Jesus despite the things that could divide us. It doesn’t mean we quote scripture or exegete passages. It means that we share our stories, our witnesses.    The Pentecost promise is that God WILL find a way to speak, that God is still speaking. We must continually find a way to speak to the world and its multitude of voices with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Church what does this mean for us? It means we tell our story through our action and word. It means that we have hope in hopeless situations. It means that despite our weakness, fear and failures we trust, we reach, and we hold tightly on the promises of God. We dream dreams and see visions. We pray for Gods will to be done. And through all this we have uncomfortable moments, where God pushes us past the boundaries and limitations we have set for ourselves. We pray that God fills our hearts so we can welcome all,that we can see Gods vision for this world, and our hands carry out the work of God. Love needs to reign because God dwells in us and through us.

Our prayer on this Pentecost Sunday needs to be “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.” We need to remember that God is speaking, moving, and shifting today. We need to remember that as Gods people we have been impacted by those tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and we must share it with those around us.

The Easter season is over today, yet it means everything we have learned and grew into during this time as individuals and community we must now live in our daily lives as the Easter people. The Holy Spirit came in a radical way to bring comfort, encouragement and passion, to remind us to be living witnesses because God doesn't sit on a throne lording over us, God is here. The Holy Spirit came, and will come again but God is here.

Lord, Hear Our Cry- A Sermon for National Day of Prayer

National Day of Prayer Service

1 Kings 8:28

Lord, Hear Our Cry

In the summer of 2010 Brandon Stanton decided to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their photos on a map as a catalogue of sorts. This aspiring photographer blogged these photos and they began to gain attention. Several months into this goal Brandon began to collect quotes and short stories from the people he photographed and used them as captions. Almost 5 years later, Brandon Stanton has over ten million followers on social media, has a #1 New York Times bestselling book and has a worldwide audience. His blog, Humans of New York, shows an intimate glance into the daily lives of normal New Yorkers. While his pictures are beautiful it is usually the story and the intimacy of it that grabs the reader.

Through this platform Brandon has raised awareness of certain issues, shared stories that are relevant to others, and created an online community through social media that inspires numerous people all over the world. He has given those in the crowd a face and told their story. He has helped facilitate conversations about relevant issues and challenged us to look at strangers differently.

As we gather today on this 64^th Annual National Day of Prayer this is what we are also doing, telling a story of sorts. The theme for this year is “Lord, hear our cry”, and with everything going on in the world this cannot be more relevant. During this day we are charged to cry out to God in prayer, to emphasize the need to put our trust in God, and to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest in this world.

Though this day is rooted in Christian heritage it is more than one denomination or religion. It is meant to be a time when people of different religions and many faiths dedicate time to pray for our nation and its well being. Since 1952 dozens of United States presidents have supported this date and called upon Americans of all religions to pray for this nation we call home. And that is why we celebrate this day, because this nation is part of who we each are, individually and communally. It is our right and job to care for this land, and one of those ways is through prayer.

In our scripture reading King Solomon is dedicating the temple he had built. Though gathered with the whole assembly of Israel this prayer we read seems intimate, as if hes speaking only to God. Eugene Peterson interprets the prayer this way; “Even so, I’m bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God, my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I’m setting before you right now. Keep your eyes open to this Temple night and day, this place of which you said, “My Name will be honored there,” and listen to the prayers that I pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive.”

This place is sacred because God resides here. We are able to gather here to offer up the worries and joys in our lives. But friends, God is beyond this place and it is our job as people of faith to continue Gods work in this world. We are called to cry out to God with our words, in our prayers, from the deepest part of our hearts. So during this day we do just that.

We pray to God for our nation, our leaders, and our communities. We pray for individual names; those we know those we love. We pray for ourselves; our insecurities and fears. We pray because it is necessary. Time in this place is sacred because God is listening and waiting for us to speak from the depths of our souls.

So what are our cries today? What are the stories we need to tell, to God and others? How can we create spaces so Gods healing and renewing hand can work? How do we live out our belief in our day to day interactions?

Friends there are many answers but the first step is to pray. We pray because it is expected of us, even though we may not do it as often as we should. We pray because it allows us to prepare our hearts, souls and minds for God to have Gods way. We pray because it shifts our relationships with God and others. We pray because sometimes that is all we can do.

At this time we will take a moment of silence. In your bulletins you will find a scrap of paper. I encourage you to write a prayer, a name, or even just hold it in your hand as you pray silently to our all hearing God. And as you are so moved, you are invited to place that paper on our altar. You are invited, you are welcome. “Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today;” Lord, hear our cry.